With all the excitement from the Red John stuff from last season’s finale, I had completely forgotten about Van Pelt’s fiance being gunned down as well … but let’s get to this Red John business, shall we?
As I said in that finale review, I doubted very much that Bradley Whitford‘s character (who we now know was named Timothy Carter) was the one-and-only Red John. Oh, I thought maybe he was one of many, but certainly not that the Red John story was over. Look, I like Whitford’s work as much as the next guy. I mean, who plays a better dick than Whitford in Revenge of the Nerds? No one, I say! But, as good of a dick as he plays, I never thought he had the kind of billing to demand he be Red John. There’ve been plenty of notable actors taking on bit roles in TV shows — more notable than Whitford — and they were hardly pivotal roles to the entire series.
In this episode, I was definitely taken by surprise by Carter’s wife being on on his wrongdoing. Not only in on it, but participating in it! The big question now is what she knows about Red John and whether she’s next to be offed. The promos for next week surprised me in that they didn’t center on Ms. Carter’s incarceration, being that she’ll need to be guarded 24/7 so as she doesn’t kill herself or another Red John disciple comes in to take care of her. Maybe she knows nothing? I doubt it.
I have to say that I’m leaning more toward Red John ultimately being more than one person — more of an association of people — and, in the end, Jane will find that there’s just no end to it all. And if there is one Red John, what will it take for Jane to know that this is the real Red John? What more evidence could be brought forward?
One unpopular theory I particularly like is that Patrick Jane is Red John, and — due to having a dual personality — he doesn’t know it. Something he said in this episode made me raise an eyebrow at that: “Typical psycopath behavior, inserting himself into the investigation.” Say, maybe that’s what Jane’s doing now in his hunt for Red John?
A few other notes:
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Sep 22, 2011 @ 23:48 EST5EDT
I don’t think the bald security guy took the gun. I think it was the forensic guy. It wasn’t the waitress because when she gave her place to the security guy, the newspaper was untouched.But then when the forensic comes we can’t see anything. And I think it’ll be too obvious and too easy if it was the security guy… Did that make any sense?!
And I always imagine Red John as Michael Emerson…
*POST AUTHOR*
I would totally believe it was the forensics guy if it was Brett Partridge, but it wasn’t. Then again, I guess he could be working with Partridge/Red John …
Ewwww! Please don’t use Red John and Michael Emerson in the same sentence….:)
:)) why not?!
Who do you think is fit to be Red John? (If Red John is one person)
I went back to your post on the subject to exactly see what I said, but I guess I didn’t weigh in on the post.
I think I WANTED Whitford to be Red John, because I really liked the performance. I thought, even if dead, he could be utilized in flashbacks going forward. To continue the story after this episode, all you’d have to do his have his most senior disciple start killing people directly connected to Jane. Start with living loved ones of victims that he has helped, then getting to one of the team members. Torment him enough, and I think the story rises to the same level.
But that’s not to be. I like your idea that Red John isn’t a single person, though. Because if we’re talking about casting someone new, I’m not sure what actor would be the type of name that you’re looking for.
So whose going to play Red John, De Niro? Listen, “The Mentalist” is a lovely, mindless, entertaining little procedural. The idea that movie stars are clamoring for guest roles seems unlikely.
Kevin Spacey? :)
I thought it a weak part of the show when Cho & Rigsby were watching the video of the aftermath of the shooting and in the first view the newspaper wasn’t there, then it was folded, then it was unfolded and moved and neither of them noticed. It was unfolded after the tech stood up but we didn’t see between the security guard and the tech.
At some point they should have noticed that it was moved and opened.
They did notice. They said, “No gun.”
But they didn’t seem to notice at which point the newspaper was moved – between security guard and tech or only after the tech.
Wait, I forget…. how did Jane know that Carter wasn’t Red John?
If you think Revenge of the Nerds is the apogee of Bradley Whitford’s acting, take a look at “Noel” from the second season of West Wing. He is an amazing actor, with plenthy of breadth (viz the Good Guys) as well as depth.
You know I totally I agree with Jane ……over the course of the mentalist Patrick would never find Red John because like he said in the courtroom that it is just a mask if one puts it down there will always be another one to put it on ….you can never kill Red John because he doesn’t exist …kudos to the writers
Jane as Red John is a very enticing idea. The security guy was killed with a red blow dryer, so RJ is most likely alive, or his disciples are still active. But what really got me going was the little RED dot on the key Jane planted in Carter’s key chain.